Fourteen Arabic alphabets have been used, in varied combinations, in 14 ‘Solemn Verses' (Ayaat-e-Muqatta'at - آیاتِ مقطعات) in the form of initials of 29 Chapters (سورة) of holy Quran. Saad ( ص ) is one of them.

Since Quran is 'Mubeen' (الْمُبِينِ); its description is clear and manifest. The meanings of all the verses of Quran, including 'Solemn Verses' (آیاتِ مقطعات) are surely known to its principle addressee, ie., Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم). It is also likely that Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) has informed the meanings of these Verses to some of his Sahabah and Awliya Allah.

We believe in whatever is meant by the 'Solemn Verses' (آیاتِ مقطعات) by Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) and His Apostle Mohammad (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم).

Since we have been commanded to read the Quran carefully and try to understand the significance of every verse of the Quran, we do ponder over these verses. And when we think, by focusing our attention towards Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) and His Apostle Mohammad (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) for guidance, it comes to our mind that the 'Solemn Verses' (آیاتِ مقطعات) are actually the 'Solemn Titles of Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) given by Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) throughout the Quran. Our understanding is based on the fact that Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) has addressed Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) in the Quran by specific names, like Muzzammil (مزمل - O' beloved who covers self in a coverlet), Muddassir (مدثر - O' beloved, who covers self in a bed sheet). With this understanding, it is most likely that Prophet’s (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) other names / titles have been mentioned in Quran by denoting certain initials/alphabets.

وَالْقُرْآَنِ ذِي الذِّكْرِ [ (I swear) By the Qur'an, that contains all that one ought to know.]

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 002

بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي عِزَّةٍ وَشِقَاقٍ [ (This is the truth), yet the disbelievers are (entrenched) in arrogance and opposition.]

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 003

كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ مِنْ قَرْنٍ فَنَادَوْا وَلَاتَ حِينَ مَنَاصٍ [ How many generations have We destroyed before them? They cried out when there was no longer time for escape!]

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 004

وَعَجِبُوا أَنْ جَاءَهُمْ مُنْذِرٌ مِنْهُمْ وَقَالَ الْكَافِرُونَ هَذَا سَاحِرٌ كَذَّابٌ [ Now, they are astonished that a warner has come to them from among themselves. And the disbelievers say, 'This is a magician, a liar' ]

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 005

أَجَعَلَ الْآَلِهَةَ إِلَهًا وَاحِدًا إِنَّ هَذَا لَشَيْءٌ عُجَابٌ [ 'Has he made (all) gods into One god. This is indeed a strange thing!']

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 006

وَانْطَلَقَ الْمَلَأُ مِنْهُمْ أَنِ امْشُوا وَاصْبِرُوا عَلَى آَلِهَتِكُمْ إِنَّ هَذَا لَشَيْءٌ يُرَادُ [ Their chiefs go about saying (one another), 'Go home and hold on to your gods staunchly. This thing is (purposely) designed (to uproot you from this land).']

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 007

مَا سَمِعْنَا بِهَذَا فِي الْمِلَّةِ الْآَخِرَةِ إِنْ هَذَا إِلَّا اخْتِلَاقٌ [ 'We have never heard of this in the latest religion (Christianity). This (concept of One God) is nothing but a made-up tale. (Even the Christians subscribe to trinity).']

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 008

أَءُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ الذِّكْرُ مِنْ بَيْنِنَا بَلْ هُمْ فِي شَكٍّ مِنْ ذِكْرِي بَلْ لَمَّا يَذُوقُوا عَذَابِ [ 'Why was the (divine) advice revealed to him (and not to us)? (And why he was chosen) among us? In fact, they are in doubt about My Reminder. And (they do so because) they have not yet tasted My punishment. ]

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 009

أَمْ عِنْدَهُمْ خَزَائِنُ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّكَ الْعَزِيزِ الْوَهَّابِ [ Or do they own and control the treasures of the Mercy of your Lord, the Almighty, the Giver (of all bounties).]

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 010

أَمْ لَهُمْ مُلْكُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فَلْيَرْتَقُوا فِي الْأَسْبَابِ [ Or (is it because) the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and everything in between, belongs to them? Then, let them climb their way (to heaven, if their claim is true). ]

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 011

جُنْدٌ مَا هُنَالِكَ مَهْزُومٌ مِنَ الْأَحْزَابِ [ They are no more than a routed band of (disintegrated) parties (awaiting a defeat, as certain as the defeat of the hordes of old times, who rejected the earlier Apostles). ]

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 012

كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ وَعَادٌ وَفِرْعَوْنُ ذُو الْأَوْتَادِ [ Before them the people of Nooh (عليه السلام) denied, and the A'ad, and the Pharaoh of formidable strongholds, ]

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 013

وَثَمُودُ وَقَوْمُ لُوطٍ وَأَصْحَابُ الْأَيْكَةِ أُولَئِكَ الْأَحْزَابُ [ and Thamud, and the people of Loot (عليه السلام), and the residents of the wood (Madian); such were the groups of people, ]

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 014

إِنْ كُلٌّ إِلَّا كَذَّبَ الرُّسُلَ فَحَقَّ عِقَابِ [ each of them denied the Apostles, therefore the retribution was justified. ]

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 015

وَمَا يَنْظُرُ هَؤُلَاءِ إِلَّا صَيْحَةً وَاحِدَةً مَا لَهَا مِنْ فَوَاقٍ [ These 'pagans' are awaiting nothing but a single Shriek (sound of a massive blast that will kill them all) that cannot be stopped. ]

اإِنَّا سَخَّرْنَا الْجِبَالَ مَعَهُ يُسَبِّحْنَ بِالْعَشِيِّ وَالْإِشْرَاقِ [ Surely, We made the mountains to glorify Our praises with him (Dawood عليه السلام) in the evening and at day break. ]

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 019

وَالطَّيْرَ مَحْشُورَةً كُلٌّ لَهُ أَوَّابٌ [ And the birds, too, with all their flocks, join in singing with him. ]

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 020

وَشَدَدْنَا مُلْكَهُ وَآَتَيْنَاهُ الْحِكْمَةَ وَفَصْلَ الْخِطَابِ [ We strengthened his kingdom, and gave him wisdom and sound judgment. ]

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 021

وَهَلْ أَتَاكَ نَبَأُ الْخَصْمِ إِذْ تَسَوَّرُوا الْمِحْرَابَ [ Has the story of the two plaintiffs, who scaled the (wall of Dawood عليه السلام) sanctuary, reached you (O Prophet ﷺ)?]

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 022

إِذْ دَخَلُوا عَلَى دَاوُودَ فَفَزِعَ مِنْهُمْ قَالُوا لَا تَخَفْ خَصْمَانِ بَغَى بَعْضُنَا عَلَى بَعْضٍ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَنَا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا تُشْطِطْ وَاهْدِنَا إِلَى سَوَاءِ الصِّرَاطِ [ When they reached Dawood (عليه السلام), he was alarmed, (but) they said, 'Do not be alarmed. (We are) two disputants. One of us has wronged the other, so judge between us with truth, and do not be unjust, and guide us to the right way. ]

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 023

إِنَّ هَذَا أَخِي لَهُ تِسْعٌ وَتِسْعُونَ نَعْجَةً وَلِيَ نَعْجَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ فَقَالَ أَكْفِلْنِيهَا وَعَزَّنِي فِي الْخِطَابِ [ One of them said, 'This, here, is my brother (in religion). He had ninety-nine lambs, while I had only one lamb. Yet he said to me, 'Hand over your one lamb to me.' He persuaded (and prevailed over) me with his (eloquent) speech.' ]

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 024

قَالَ لَقَدْ ظَلَمَكَ بِسُؤَالِ نَعْجَتِكَ إِلَى نِعَاجِهِ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنَ الْخُلَطَاءِ لَيَبْغِي بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَقَلِيلٌ مَا هُمْ وَظَنَّ دَاوُودُ أَنَّمَا فَتَنَّاهُ فَاسْتَغْفَرَ رَبَّهُ وَخَرَّ رَاكِعًا وَأَنَابَ [ (Dawood عليه السلام) said, 'He certainly wronged you by asking for your lamb to join his herd (of ninety-nine lambs). Indeed, most friends and family members often treat each other unjustly, except those who believe and perform righteous deeds. Such ones (however) are few.' And then Dawood (عليه السلام) thought, that We had put him through a test (by this incident). So, he sought forgiveness of his Lord. He fell down prostrate and turned to Him in repentance. ]

The above is the 'Verse of Sajda' (آیت سجدہ). If someone is reading it alone, should do prostration (سجدة) alone. If it is read loudly in an audience, the reciter and all the listeners should do 'Prostration of Recitation' (Sajda-e-Tilaawah - سجدة التلاوة) individually.

The Prostration can be done in sitting or standing position. In the Hanafi school of thought, 'Prostration of Recitation' (Sajda-e-Tilaawah - سجدة التلاوة) is obligatory (Fardh). With Shafii and Maliki, it is Sunnah.

It is in Hadith - 'When you have recited a verse requiring Sajdah-e-Tilaawaah, you should go down for Sajdah with Allahu-Akbar and rise from Sajdah with Allahu-Akbar, which may be performed sitting, though it is preferable to prostrate oneself from the standing position. (Abu Dawood)

Have the intention to do Prostration of recitation (سجدة التلاوة). The place where you are reading/reciting Quran should be clean. Turn your face towards Qibla, say (quietly) Allahu Akbar, go into prostration once, recite the 'Tasbih of Sajdah' 'Subhana Rabbi al-A'alaa' (سبحان ربّي الاعلى ) at least 3 times and raise from the Sajda saying Allahu Akbar.

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 025

فَغَفَرْنَا لَهُ ذَلِكَ وَإِنَّ لَهُ عِنْدَنَا لَزُلْفَى وَحُسْنَ مَآَبٍ [ So We forgave him. He has surely a high rank with Us and an excellent place of final return. ]

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 026

يَا دَاوُودُ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَاكَ خَلِيفَةً فِي الْأَرْضِ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا تَتَّبِعِ الْهَوَى فَيُضِلَّكَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَضِلُّونَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ بِمَا نَسُوا يَوْمَ الْحِسَابِ [ ( We said), 'O Dawood عليه السلام), We have certainly appointed you Our Vicegerent on the land. Therefore, settle the disputes between people with justice. Do not follow the desires and whims (of the people) that may lead you away from Allah´s path. Indeed, there is a severe punishment for those who stray from the path of Allah, because they forget the day of reckoning. ]

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 027

وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاءَ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا بَاطِلًا ذَلِكَ ظَنُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَوَيْلٌ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنَ النَّارِ [ We did not create the heaven, the earth and everything in it without a purpose. (In fact) those who do not believe, think otherwise. Misery is for the unbelievers. They will be in Fire (forever). ]

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 028

أَمْ نَجْعَلُ الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ كَالْمُفْسِدِينَ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَمْ نَجْعَلُ الْمُتَّقِينَ كَالْفُجَّارِ [ Should We treat those who believe and do good deeds, on par with those who create mischief in the earth? Should We treat the righteous, on par the sinners? (The answers is obvious, no.) ]

Juz 23, Saad, Verse 029

كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِيَدَّبَّرُوا آَيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُولُواْ الْأَلْبَابِ[ (The Quran is) a blessed Book which We have revealed to you (O Prophet ﷺ) so that the people of understanding may reflect on its verses, and those who understand, become mindful.]